Olos Wines Presents 'Selected By'

photo by Mario Tarello

You may not have heard of Olos Wines here in the U.S. yet, but I predict that their new line of “Selected By” wines will make a big splash very soon. They are a young, ambitious, Swiss company founded in 2008 whose goal is to provide high quality wines for the discerning consumer. Olos Wines made the strategic move to bring well known Italian viticulturist Stefano Chioccioli on board to hand select high quality wines that best demonstrate the unique terrior of each region. The line of wines is aptly named “Selected By”.

As a young company, Olos Wines has chosen a modern, innovative approach to marketing, labeling and bottling their wines. Each label is unique and pictures an animal or insect that evokes an emotion and best represents the territory. They have chosen to use light weight Bordeaux bottles to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and screw caps instead of corks, maintaining that the wine is allowed to age properly without the risk of damage from the cork. Their motto is “Drink the wine, don’t’ drink the cork!” My mind recognizes the logic, but my heart misses the romance.

Stefano Chioccioli has an extensive wine making resume and began his career in 1985 as a taster and also conducted chemical – oenological testing and ground analysis. He believes that the most important goal in wine making is to achieve a perfect ripening of the grapes. He says that it sounds simple, but isn’t. In bringing the “Selected By” wines to the market he hopes to provide a greater understanding of the history and geography of Italian wines. According to Mr. Chioccioli, a wine maker should produce wines that best exemplify the territory. This requires careful attention throughout the wine making process.

The “Selected By” line of wines are produced from Sauvignon and Pinot grigio from the Veneto, Merlot and Sangiovese from Tuscany, Sirah, Nero d’Avola and Grillo from Sicily and Pinot Nero from Lombardia. Each variety was specifically selected according to the ideal conditions of the climate and soil for each particular grape. The majority of the vineyards are considered “new generation” vineyards being from 10-15 years old. The vineyards may be young but the care and experience demonstrated by Stefano Chioccioli in producing fine wines make the “Selected By” wines worth checking out.